UAH President Robert Altenkirch, along with UAB President Carol Garrison, spoke out Friday against legislation proposing a separation of UAH and UAB from the UA System. (The Huntsville Times file photo)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The months-long issues between the University of the Alabama System and the Huntsville community didn't fade without a final dose of miscommunication.

State Rep. Phil Williams, R-Monrovia, is co-sponsoring a proposed constitutional amendment that would separate the University of Alabama in Huntsville from the UA System. Except he's against the legislation.

"I don't support that bill," Williams said.

Though Williams has long been researching the protocol for separation, the bill came Thursday from Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, and also included the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the separation movement.

Rep. Mike Ball, R-Huntsville, was one of five co-sponsors on the bill along with Williams.

The move came as a surprise to Williams, the presidents of UAB and UAH, as well as UA System Chancellor Robert Witt. Both UAB President Carol Garrison and UAH President Robert Altenkirch said they are opposed to separation.

The legislation figures to be a longshot to pass with only 10 working days remaining in the legislative session. And even if it passed the House and Senate, it would then face a statewide vote for final approval.

Rogers, however, said the legislation had widespread support throughout the state.

"We might not get it through," Rogers said, "but it will shake them up so bad, they can't be as vindictive to the two campuses."

Williams said he agreed to co-sponsor the bill when the legislative session began in January but that Witt and Paul Bryant Jr., president pro tem of the board of trustees, had taken positive steps toward easing concerns in Huntsville over UAH's role in the system.

Earlier this week, Williams had said the bill was on hold.

"I am perfectly happy with the work of the trustees and the Huntsville committee to get our common issues on the table so that we can grow together as a system," Williams said.

Rogers said that Witt had reached out to him and the two plan to talk. But filing the legislation gives Rogers an upper hand, he said.

"Phil and I are a little different," Rogers said. "I believe in operating from a point of strength. Sometimes when you negotiate with somebody, if you don't have a hammer, you can't talk to them. You have to put the hammer out there first.

"If you don't start a fight, you can't ever win one."

Rogers' bill calls for a constitutional amendment to break up the system by creating three separate boards of trustees and dividing up the assets among the three boards.

News of Rogers' legislation began to spread across the Bevill Center early Friday morning where the trustees were wrapping up two days of meetings at UAH.

Altenkirch, Garrison and Witt each gave statements during the meeting opposing the separation.

"I want to be absolutely clear that UAB has the utmost faith in and loyalty to the UA System and the chancellor and the board," Garrison said. "I believe it is in UAB's best interest to be part of the UA System. To do otherwise is impractical for many different reasons."

Said Altenkirch, "I see no advantage to standing alone and being separate from the system."

Witt said he was more encouraged about recent progress in talks with leaders in the Huntsville community, including Mayor Tommy Battle, than concerned about Rogers' measure. Witt described the legislation as "an anomaly."

Still, the legislation is the latest twist in an ongoing saga between the UA System, UAH and UAB. While UAH supporters say their concerns appear to be in the process of being addressed, the UAB football stadium that trustees killed in November remains a sore point for Rogers.

"We feel like every time we want to do something to enhance our situation, we have to kneel down and ask the powers that be for us to do it," Rogers said. "Same with UAH. (The UA System is) going to micromanage our institution to the point to where they will still be the kingpin.

"They see us as the red-headed stepchildren, and they are the mama ship. We've got to go to the mama ship to do what we want to do."